


Ashokan Farewell

by PlanceGardener21



Category: Voltron Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Monsters and Mana, Pikelavar Month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24584560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanceGardener21/pseuds/PlanceGardener21
Summary: This is a fic inspired by the bittersweet and beautiful song Ashokan Farewell. It was written for Pikelavar Month in June 2020. The prompts are sadness, adoration, and love.
Relationships: Hunay - Relationship, Kallura - Relationship, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Pikelavar, plance - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Ashokan Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> Please listen to these beautiful performances of the song before, during, or after you read this fic. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/jpBuky70rMg
> 
> https://youtu.be/z2Fy5QscuLY
> 
> This one includes the lyrics. Listen to it after you read the fic. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/uksE4R-AyWY

It was one of the most beautiful sunsets Pike had ever seen, witn ruddy hues that bathed the forested hills outside of Block’s village in warmth and light. He frowned. That was the problem with sunsets, Pike thought. They were beautiful but they were fleeting. You had to appreciate them in the moment beacause they faded away so quickly. He sighed as he stared at the distant willows which were slowly being engulfed by the darkness. The smell of pine tinged the cool breeze that ruffled his hair and clothing as the moon appeared low on the horizon above the mountains. He had really hoped Meklavar would be there before their little group of adventurers went their separate ways. She had already missed a spectacular sunset, and now she might just miss the party too. Where was that girl? 

The sun is sinking low in the sky above Ashokan  
The pines and the willows know soon we will part  
There's a whisper in the wind of promises unspoken  
And a love that will always remain in my heart

The villagers were celebrating. Jiro, Thunder, Valayun, Block, and his girlfriend were sitting together at one of the long tables that had been set up in the village square for the feast that had been prepared in their honor. The celebration had gotten loud, even though the night was young. There would be music and dancing all evening, and but Pike was in no mood to appreciate it. His heart was heavy, and even though a great crowd of celebrants had assembled to honor them with speeches and toasts and much adulation, Pike could find no enjoyment in any of it.

He and his friends were heroes to the people who lived in this valley. They had defeated the evil witch Haggar’s monster that had turned Block’s people into stone, and those same folk were now giddy with the feeling of being able to move, and breathe, and laugh again. It was as if they had died under the basilisk’s stare and had just now come back to life, so of course they wanted to enjoy themselves and show their appreciation for the little group who had been their saviors. Jiro had attracted quite a large group of peasants who were thrilled by the tales of his many adventures as a Paladin, especially the children who would beg for another tale as soon as he finished the telling of one adventure. Block and Shay were in deep conversation, holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes the way lovers do, and Valayun was persuading a reluctant Thunderstorm to join her in the dancing as the musicians began their first set for the evening: jigs and reels for the most part, and a few country waltzes. Pike frowned, but did not move to join in the revelry. Had Meklavar retired to her room at the inn to get some well-earned rest after their adventure? Was she coming to the party at all? He was just too miserable to think of enjoying himself right now. How could they all be so happy? 

Block was staying here in the village with his girlfriend. Pike thought the young sorcerer had definitely earned the right stay home and lead a quiet life after all the sacrifices he had made for his people. Jiro had a personal quest to fulfill, and would be departing in the morning for a long journey to the distant temples of the East. Val and Thunder were going to head west to the elven lands to meet up with Thunder’s mother for some secretive business that Pike didn’t concern himself with. It was something about blades. He looked at Valayun, whose beauty had caught the attention of nearly every young male in the village. She paid her would-be suitors no mind, for she only had eyes for the handsome, raven-haired, half-elven boy with the violet eyes who, at the moment, was blushing as Val patiently helped him to learn the quick steps to one of the livelier dances. There was a time that Pike would have been jealous that he wasn’t the center of attention at a party, but it was not this night. He scanned the crowd for Meklavar’s familiar armor and horned helmet, but there was no sign of her distinctive silhouette anywhere. He watched the dancers. It seemed that Thunder was a quick learner for he was already getting the hang of the two-step that the village band was playing and he smiled down at Val as he led her around the dance floor. Valayun’s eyes seemed to sparkle even more than they usually did, and Pike smiled in spite of himself. Those two made a good match, Pike thought. Maybe everything was as it should be. Maybe he just had to accept the way of things.

In the morning they would all be going their separate ways, and that’s what was bothering him. They were his friends, and he would miss traveling about with them, fighting monsters and looking for treasure, saving lives and righting wrongs, then returning to life on the road. He would miss the evenings spent singing around the campfire, Jiro’s tales of wonder that took his imagination to distant lands, Val and Thunder’s lessons in archery and swordsmanship, Block’s amazing cooking, and Meklavar’s adorable giggle when Pike tried to show off for her. No matter how much he tried to convince her that he was a cool ninja assassin, she could always see right through him. He would miss her teasing, their banter, and their late evenings gazing up at the stars. Mek could name them all and liked to imagine their were other worlds out there, some inhabitanted by beings not unlike themselves. The others thought Meklavar was a bit mad for thinking such things, and he did too, but only at first. Over time he realized that she might be right about those distant worlds, and he often volunteered to share her turn on late night guard duty while the others slept just so he could share his cloak with her as she talked about the motions of the planets and the music of the spheres. 

She should be here by now. The stars were shining over the mountain lake as the light of the silvery moon reflected on small ripples upon the dark water. Surely this was a scene she would appreciate, even more than the sunset she missed. He wanted to hear her tales of the heroes of legend who were immortalized in the constellations above, even though he had memorized every tale she had ever told about them. He just wanted to hear the sound of her voice, rambling on about things he didn’t always understand. He wondered if he would ever hear it again after tonight. Pike sighed, remembering again.

During their travels, when they were inevitably attacked by goblins or orc brigands of one sort or another, Mek always fought by his side. They had grown so used to each other’s combat styles it was as if they could read each other’s thoughts. Their teamwork was uncanny, and even their friends began to notice it. No matter what dangers their little group faced on the road, Mek always stayed close to him, perhaps to protect him. He soon learned why she had been reputed as the best axe fighter in three lands, but how was he supposed to keep her safe if she was the one always saving him from the bad guys? 

My thoughts will return to the sound of your laughter  
The magic of moving as one  
And a time we'll remember long ever after  
The moonlight and music and dancing are done

Pike closed his eyes, just listening to the beauty of the music, of flutes and fiddles and soft guitars, of muted drums and timbrels. The music brought about a flood of memories: He recalled how Meklavar laughed at his jokes as they climbed the grassy knolls of South Dunland. Pike remembered the sound of her sweet alto harmonizing with his own clear tenor as they walked side by side in the faery woodlands, singing old ballads and humorous tavern songs, and attracting an audience of pixies and brownies who, to their surprise, applauded with genuine enthusiasm when they were done. Then there was a fond recollection of the night they were separated from the others during a terrible lightning storm, and how they ran through the downpour, fortunate enough to stumble upon a dry hollow in which to shelter for the night. He had helped her out of her armor and they both stripped away their outer garments, hanging them by the fire to dry. They spent that night drinking hot tea and soup as they huddled together in their blankets, lightly clad and skin to skin. He was never more acutely aware of the fact that underneath all of the armor, Mek was most certainly a girl, and a very pretty one at that. He remembered how she looked with the firelight reflecting in her wide amber eyes, with damp wisps of her unruly hair framing her face. No elf queen out of legend could have been more beautiful, surely. He remembered how much he wanted to kiss her at that very moment, but he didn’t, for fear of ruining their friendship. She fell asleep in his arms that night, and he remembered dreaming that she was a dwarven princess who had fallen in love with him, a wealthy, handsome, and charming prince. It was a good dream, with elegant clothes and courtly manners and dancing. They lived in a castle, and he was no longer a filthy street cat and a thief. He was a gentleman, a noble prince, a brave knight who was worthy of her. Pike kept his eyes shut tightly as this memory brought tears to his eyes. He never wanted that night to end.

Will we climb the hills once more?  
Will we walk the woods together?  
Will I feel you holding me close once again?  
Will every song we've sung stay with us forever?  
Will you dance in my dreams or my arms until then?

“Pike?” The familiar voice startled him out of his reminiscing. He turned, expecting to see Meklavar’s familiar armored form when he opened his eyes. He had to stare in disbelief, his mouth agape. A slender, delicate looking girl stood before him, her long hair crowned by a wreath of fragrant white night flowers, her armor replaced by a gown of green satin, her boots exchanged for slippers that were clearly made for dancing, not hiking over the woods and hills. 

“You aren’t wearing your gear,” he said stupidly, after staring at her for a long and awkward moment. 

“This is a ball, not a brawl, silly. I am not planning on getting into any axe fights tonight. And I’m really sorry it took me so long to get ready. I am not used to—“ She lifted one of the long folds of her skirt and dropped it again. “—all of this.”

“You look beautiful,” Pike gushed. “I mean, you always look beautiful to me, but tonight you look especially beautiful.” Pike felt the heat rush to his face. “Just like a faery princess from one of those old ballads we used to sing,” he said in a low voice, mostly to himself. 

Her eyes were shining. She was beaming up at him, so why were there tears at the corners of her eyes? “Thank you. That’s one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me.” She swiftly wiped the silvery trails from her cheeks, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

Pike’s heart hammered in his chest. It was if he was in the middle of a battle and didn’t know if he should face his foe or flee. He just stood there, staring at her in silence and looking slightly terrified, as if he didn’t know what to do next. His stomach growled. 

“Um, have you had anything to eat yet?” she asked.

“No. It looks like there’s plenty left though. Now that I think of it, I am really starving right now.”

“Don’t tell me you missed the feast.” 

“We didn’t miss the feast. I was waiting for you, and wondering what kept you so long.”

She extended her hand to him, and he took it as they walked toward the banquet tables together. “Sorry. I didn’t want to make you wait too long, but you did say there would be dancing tonight, so I had to get the right attire, you know, in case some handsome young man asks me to dance.”

“What?! Don’t tell me you got all dressed up to impress one of these village idiots!”

“No, silly. I was talking about you. I was hoping you would ask me.”

“Oh.” Handsome young man? Well, of course. Wait, was she flirting with him? They were still holding hands. Say something, idiot. “Mek, will you dance with me later this evening?” 

She grinned at him. “Of course. I didn’t get all dressed up for nothing you know.”

Under the moon the mountains lie sleeping  
Over the lake the stars shine  
They wonder if you and I will be keeping  
The magic and music, or leave them behind


End file.
